Extreme Endurance Races: Where Dehydration Reigns

A list of five of the craziest extreme endurance events on earth. Some completed by less people that have been into space.

Badwater Ultramarathon:

Any race that begins in a place called Death Valley is sure to be a tough one. The organisers of the Badwater Ultramarathon describe the 217km event as “the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet”.

With Death Valley being 85m below sea level and the lowest elevation in North America, the Badwater Classic will see you climbing 4450m over three mountain ranges.

Held in the middle of summer each year, conditions are devastatingly hot with temperatures around 50°C, even in the shade – if you can find any. Dehydration is unavoidable.

You’ll travel through aptly named landmarks such as Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Devils’ Cornfield and if you reach the finish line you’ll be among a select few.

A gargantuan 3000 nautical mile race across the Atlantic Ocean that can stretch on for up to three months, this is the ultimate ocean adventure.

Beginning in Spain’s San Sebastian and finishing in Antigua in the West Indies, more people have been into space or climbed Everest than have rowed the Atlantic. You’ll face huge seas often breaking or flooding boats, along with brutal blisters, dehydration, salt rash, sharks and sleep deprivation.

Tackle it solo or in teams of two or four people and test every aspect of your mental and physical wellbeing in the world’s toughest row.